


Baby Don’t Hurt Me

by cheersilldrinktothatbro



Category: Original - Fandom
Genre: And an alien, Gen, Identity, Names, Philosophy, Stars, Then This Happens, What is love, and you find a keyboard, forest, i warned you, idk y’all, kinda sad, old lady - Freeform, sometimes you feel sappy, woods
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-05
Updated: 2019-06-05
Packaged: 2020-04-08 11:50:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19106515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheersilldrinktothatbro/pseuds/cheersilldrinktothatbro
Summary: What’s in a name, or (more importantly) who? Join an elderly woman and an extraterrestrial as they search for the answer in approximately 725 words and lots of tears.





	Baby Don’t Hurt Me

**Author's Note:**

> “Dear Theodosia (Instrumental)” is a nice listen for this one.  
> Artwork will be coming soon. Maybe.

She felt a cold but gentle hand on her shoulder before looking up in surprise. The creature gave a reassuring smile and took a seat on the ground next to her, leaning against the same mossy log. 

The old woman smiled back, she didn’t have much energy for surprise anymore. “Hello.”

A nasally voice replied, “Hello. How are you?”

The woman gestured to her torn and dirty hospital gown, her bare feet, and then the empty expanse of forest surrounding the clearing. “I’ve been better.”

“Nice to meet you- ” the creature read out loud the smudged handwriting on her hospital bracelet.

Her eyes rolled as she suddenly remembered the bracelet, reading it for a second before suddenly ripping it off and tossing it on the ground in front of her. “I never did want that. But they insisted.” She yelled at the dark trees, “Wouldn’t it be better to just remember a person’s name?”

The creature was silent, not entirely sure what to make of this question.

“I’m sorry, I’m being selfish.” The woman whispered. “What’s your name?” 

The creature frowned, glancing down at its feet. It cleared it’s throat. “I, uh, I don’t really have one. How- how did you get your name?” 

“Oh well, it was kind of a gift. From my parents when I was born. They thought it would suit me.”

“They must have loved you very much to give you such a beautiful name.”

She gave a small shrug, “Maybe they did.”

“Would you mind giving me one?”

“What, give you a name?”

“Only if you have a spare. I understand they’re hard to come by.”

“Just the good ones. Maybe. What kind of name would you like?”

“What kinds are there?”

“Oh lots. There are the strong kinds, the unusual kinds, the kinds that make your tongue turn over, the kinds that make you smile, the kinds that make your eyes scrunch up, the kinds that make your stomach do flips, the kinds that make your heart ache…” Their voice gradually became softer, slowly fading as the old woman closed her eyes. The creature was barely able to sense a whisper when her tears began to fall.

It moved closer, entranced by the sadness. “What’s the best kind?”, it ventured softly. 

She sat still for a moment, thinking. “I suppose the kind that makes you remember.”

“I’d very much like one of those. If that’s alright with you.”

The woman gave a small smile and wiped away a tear, “It’s alright. So what do you remember?”

It looked up, squinting at the night sky. “Not very much,” the creature admitted. “And you?”

“People mostly. What they did, when they did it.” She gave a small chuckle, “Just a bunch of little unimportant things.”

“Why do you laugh at that?”

“Oh I’m just laughing at myself really. It’s funny, what names stick after all these years. The ones with those silly, small moments.”

The two sat in silence, occasionally staring up at the moon and then back down at the forest floor. Both listened with wonder to the soft chirps and rustlings around them. One with new-found awe and one with a lifetime of reverence.

“I ran out here tonight, because I wanted to see something of myself for the last time,” the old woman sighed. “But I suppose found something new.”

“Is this bad?”

The woman shook her head and looked the creature in the eye. She thought for a moment while the tears began to fall once more. “You know, I think I do have a spare one.”

The creature turned towards her with bright, wide eyes. “Oh please could you gift it me? I would love nothing more in all the world.”

The old woman chuckled, her eyes slowly closing as she raised a trembling hand to rest on on top of the creature’s, her one finger outstretched towards the discarded bracelet. “Of course. And you know what? I think it suits you.”

The woman shuddered and breathed deep before growing very still. Her head rested against the old log, face tilted up to the stars and moonlight reflecting against her tear-stained cheeks. 

The creature gently got up, placing the woman’s hand back against her chest. It held the bracelet close to it’s chest before tucking it into its pocket. “Thank you very much. I’ll remember.”


End file.
